It received FCC equipment authorization on November 19, 2025 — 34 days before the December 22, 2025 FCC ruling that blocked future DJI products from the US market. Any drone that cleared FCC authorization before that deadline is grandfathered in and can be legally imported, sold, and operated in the United States.
The Avata 360 officially launches globally on March 26, 2026. US buyers can purchase it through standard retail channels.
Why People Are Asking If It's Banned
The confusion is understandable. On December 22, 2025, the FCC added DJI to its "Covered List" — a designation that prevents new DJI drone models from receiving FCC equipment authorization going forward. Headlines ran with "DJI banned in the US," and the internet took it from there.
But what the ruling actually did was much narrower than most coverage suggested. It created a wall against future FCC approvals for DJI products. Any product that had already received FCC authorization before the ruling was unaffected. The Avata 360 was one of those products.
The December 22, 2025 ruling added DJI to the FCC Covered List under Section 1709 of the 2025 National Defense Authorization Act. The mechanism was automatic: the NDAA required a US national security agency to complete a formal security review of DJI by December 23, 2025. No agency conducted the review. With no review completed, DJI was automatically added to the Covered List — blocking all new FCC product authorizations going forward.
Products with existing FCC authorization are not affected by this ruling. They remain legal to import, sell, and operate.
For a full breakdown of the DJI legal and regulatory situation — including which drones are affected and how to buy DJI equipment in the US today — see our complete guide to buying commercial drones in the US in 2026.
What the Avata 360 Actually Is
Beyond the legal question, the Avata 360 is genuinely interesting hardware. It's DJI's first dedicated 360-degree drone — a cinewhoop-style FPV aircraft with a dual-lens spherical camera system capable of capturing native 8K footage in every direction simultaneously.
The concept is a direct response to the Antigravity A1 from Insta360, which became the first 360-degree consumer drone and caught DJI flat-footed in a category it didn't own. The Avata 360 is DJI's answer — and it's coming in with more resources, a more established ecosystem, and a price point that appears designed to compete aggressively.
The key innovation is the tiltable gimbal. In standard mode the camera faces forward like a traditional FPV drone. Tilted to full spherical mode, both lenses capture simultaneously for complete 360-degree coverage. This means operators aren't locked into one shooting style — the aircraft functions as both a conventional FPV camera drone and a full immersive 360 platform depending on the job.
Confirmed and Reported Specifications
| Specification | Detail |
|---|---|
| FCC Authorization | Confirmed — November 19, 2025 (FCC ID: SS3-DVN3NT) |
| US Legal Status | Legal to purchase and operate |
| Launch Date | March 26, 2026 — 12 PM GMT / 8 AM EST |
| Camera System | Dual-lens spherical — 8K 360° video at 60fps (reported) |
| Gimbal | Tiltable — switches between 360° spherical and forward FPV mode |
| Frame Design | Cinewhoop-style with full spherical propeller guards |
| Propellers | Four-blade (upgrade from Avata 2's three-blade) |
| Transmission | 2.4 GHz, 5.2 GHz, 5.8 GHz — BLE, Wi-Fi 802.11ax, OcuSync |
| Competitor | Antigravity A1 (Insta360) |
Estimated US Pricing
DJI has not officially confirmed US pricing. Based on leaked Chinese pricing and DJI's typical 15–40% US market premium accounting for tariffs and logistics, current estimates are:
One Caveat Worth Knowing About
The Avata 360 is legal. That's settled. But there is one open legal development that American buyers should be aware of.
On February 20, 2026, DJI filed a lawsuit against the FCC in the US Court of Appeals for the Ninth Circuit (Case 26-1029), arguing that the Covered List ruling is both procedurally and constitutionally flawed. DJI has assembled serious legal firepower for this challenge, including former US Solicitor General Elizabeth Prelogar and former FCC Enforcement Bureau Chief Travis LeBlanc.
In filings, DJI has also claimed the FCC has used the ruling to restrict imports of even previously approved products — which, if true, would potentially affect the Avata 360 at customs. The most likely outcome is that the Avata 360 launches and moves through US retail without disruption. But operators should understand the situation isn't completely settled at the import level.
Pre-order listings for the Avata 360 are already appearing from US sellers at prices well above projected retail, sometimes described as "New – Unsealed / Activated / Not Flown." That language is a serious red flag. DJI drones can only be activated once. An unsealed, activated unit is a used drone being sold as new — and you'll have no warranty coverage and no DJI Care options. Wait for authorized retailers or buy directly through Drone-Works after launch.
What This Means for Commercial Operators
The Avata 360 isn't primarily a commercial AEC tool — it's aimed at content creators, cinematographers, and FPV pilots who want immersive footage. If your work is in construction mapping, roof inspection, or survey, this isn't the aircraft you're evaluating for your core fleet.
That said, there are legitimate commercial applications worth thinking about:
- Virtual walkthroughs and real estate — 360-degree aerial footage creates immersive property tours that standard drone video can't replicate
- Site documentation at speed — an FPV platform that captures everything simultaneously reduces passes and flight time for broad-area documentation
- Client deliverables with VR potential — industries like hospitality, architecture, and events are increasingly requesting 360 content
- Marketing and portfolio content — operators running drone businesses benefit from demo footage that stands out from standard aerial video
For operators who already own an Avata 2 or are considering the FPV category, the 360 represents a meaningful capability upgrade for the right use cases. For operators focused purely on AEC survey and inspection work, the Matrice line remains the priority platform.
For US operators, Drone-Works (drone-works.com · 607-239-9119) is a reliable authorized commercial supplier who already carries DJI enterprise products and serves commercial operators directly. Avoid gray market sellers and any listing that describes the unit as "unsealed" or "activated."
The Bottom Line
The DJI Avata 360 is not banned. It received FCC authorization on November 19, 2025 — before the December 22 deadline — and is legal to purchase and operate in the United States. The broader DJI regulatory situation is real and worth understanding, but it does not affect this specific aircraft.
If you've been holding off on a purchase because of ban headlines, you can stop. If you're evaluating it for commercial use, the 360-degree capability is genuinely new territory for aerial platforms and worth a closer look depending on your work. And if you're buying — wait for the official launch on March 26 and use an authorized retailer.